In the past, I have preferred to present to you comics that are several issues into their run, in order to give you a more complete picture of what the comic is about, so that you can make your buying decision with as much information as possible. Sometimes, however, waiting that long to bring a comic to your attention doesn’t really work, especially with the fleeting nature of the small press market. If a title doesn’t get enough readers quickly, it can fade and die – which makes waiting until three or four issues come out a bit of a risky proposition. Other times, a comic doesn’t really fit into a traditional format, and even attempting to hold true to that “rule” for this column is virtually impossible.

So, this week, and from time to time, I plan to break with my usual format and talk about a few different comics that have caught my eye that might not be as established as the ones I normally discuss. Especially in the case of the small press, I hope to bring your attention to brand new titles that you might not have heard about otherwise, that are worthy of your attention. That being said, I present for your approval –

Silent Assasin: Understanding Trauma
Written by Brian Ferrara
Art by Narek Gevorgian
Inks by Don Redick
Published by Terminal Press

There is something different about this title, and you can see that right off the bat. It is tough to talk about, and even tougher to describe, but I shall do my best.

The beginning of Understanding Trauma is a big disjointed, but it is something that you need to get through to arrive at the real meat of this issue. It is mostly foreshadowing, no doubt showing us a series of events that will take place at the end of this series, and really serve as nothing more than a tease here.

The protagonist is a nameless adolescent with no face, save for a pair of beady eyes. His mother kept him imprisoned, chained nude to a box facing a television, where her “customers” would enter and have their way with him. One day, our protagonist breaks free of his bonds during a “session” with a police officer, takes his gun, and shoots him dead. In escaping, he kills everyone in his path, until he is rescued by a member of a small street gang.

If you can’t tell already – this is a seriously brutal story. Under no circumstances should this comic be given to a child, not in the slightest. I was a little disappointed that a “Suggested For Mature Readers” disclaimer didn’t appear on the front cover – you can find it on the back, but that is hardly warning enough here. This issue is the definition of that warning, and I think, perhaps, they took that a little lightly.

Is it gratuitous though? Not hardly. Anyone who knows me understands that I have very little patience for gratuitous sex and violence, but in this title, it serves a very real purpose. The protagonist is an extremely violent individual, something that can be completely understood by seeing the environment he was brought up in. It is cold, callous, and it is like getting punched in the stomach reading it at times, but through and through it is powerful and necessary to understand the kind of person we are dealing with.

The art is stunning, though very off-beat. The characters are either alien or almost human – so it is tough to tell exactly where this story is taking place, but they are rendered in a very distinct and characteristic manner. You never have a hard time telling who is who, even among a throng of random victims. Some of the more evil characters are surprisingly grotesque – particularly the “Assassin’s” mother and Jeremiah at the pet shop. The sickest of characters often look that way, adding more depth to the story. The overall feel of the art is very dark, and more than appropriate for the story as a whole.

Silent Assassin: Understanding Trauma is available now through the Terminal Press website. It has been picked up by Diamond, and will be solicited in the November issue of Previews. The second part of this story, Mighty Anodyne, will hopefully be available soon after that.

The cover price on this issue is $6.95 – which might result in a little bit of sticker shock for some of you. Do keep in mind that this sucker is a full 48 Pages, full color, prestige format book printed on some seriously high quality paper. They clearly believe in the artistic quality of their product (and they should), and spared no expense in presenting it to you in as high of quality as possible. I wouldn’t let the price deter you – I can’t say it is worth $7 an issue, but it is worth the risk for the couple of extra dollars. With any luck, this issue will sell enough that Mighty Anodyne will be a little cheaper. I can understand why something like this would have to cost so much from a small publisher – there is savings in bulk and all. All I can say is, you are getting what you pay for with Silent Assassin – its brutal, unforgiving, and well worth the time and effort to track down.

Hydraulic Leg #1
Written by Michael Cassidy and Greg Furie
Art by Dan Schoening
Ink by Ken Faulks
Published by Hydraulic Leg, Inc.

The first issue of Hydraulic Leg debuted at the San Diego ComiCon this year. While I found this initial issue a little choppy, it does have all of the ingredients of a decent, all-ages comic.

Jonas Paxton is the son of a dead-beat, alcoholic dad, and Madge, an alien sent to Earth from a planet of cyborgs. Jonas was born with the same “apparent” disability that afflicts his mother – a cybernetic leg. Few people realize that his leg is indeed natural, and grants him abilities far beyond a normal boy. The leg allows him to fly, fires lasers, and can become magnetized.

As I mentioned before, the first issue was a bit choppy – it really could have done more to introduce the main plot that will make up the brunt of this series. As it is, issue 1 served mainly to introduce the characters, Jonas, his family, and circle of friends, as well as showcase a bit of his abilities. Only on the last page do we get a small hint of who is to become the major opponent Hydraulic Leg must face.

Even though it is slow-paced, it will almost certainly appeal to a younger reader. The plot, and Jonas’s problems, are simple and easy to understand, and his powers are equally easily explained on panel. The main villain, a scientist who seeks to make every human on the planet a twisted animal/human hybrid is pretty light and an appropriate conflict for a younger reader.

Hydraulic Leg should prove to be fairly successful in a market that is pretty devoid of all-ages titles, if it can gain the distribution to needs for success. Sadly, a comic that can only be ordered online will be a tough sell for kids if they can’t find it – hopefully this title finds its way at least into comic shops soon. As it stands now, the first issue of Hydraulic Leg can be ordered online at [url]www.HydraulicLeg.com[/url] for $2.99. The first issue is 24 pages, in full color, and should be a good purchase for the younger reader in your life. There aren’t many fun and original G-rated books like this on the market today, as such, this title deserves all of the support we can give it.

The website is a little sparse, but it is well put-together and does have a good amount of pertinent information on the series, including a look at the main characters, a break-down of the “leg’s” abilities, and a few samples of the art you can find in the comic. Shouldn’t take more than a few minutes to check out the site – I do recommend you all do so.

Songs of Our Ancestors Volume Two: Silk Tapestry, and Other Chinese Folktales
By Patrick Atangan
Published by NBM Publishing

The title Yellow Jar might sound familiar to you, and it should. Patrick Atangan earned himself a pair of Eisner nominations for this volume of Japanese folktales, the first printing of which sold out in a mere 10 days. An impressive feat, considering the format and subject matter of this volume. Yellow Jar adapted a pair of Japanese folktales, drawn in the traditional ukiyo-e art style, presented in a hardcover, 8.5” x 6.5”, 48 page, full color book back in 2002. With the popularity of this first volume, it was only natural, and appropriate that there be a sequel.

With Silk Tapestry, the concept was evolved into a series called Songs of Our Ancestors. The theme of the series is to adapt folktales from a particular culture, and to graphically present them in a culturally appropriate artistic style. Silk Tapestry proves an effective and appropriate follow-up to Yellow Jar, telling both the titular story and “Sausage Boy and His Magic Brush,” two folktales from ancient China, drawn in a style very reminiscent of old Chinese art.

In order to avoid rambling on about this book, I shall just say this: Silk Tapestry is a masterpiece. It is a far cry from the standard, superhero genre comic books that are popular today – the two don’t even come close to being similar. This series is going to tip the scales of literary artistry in comics, and is well worth your attention. The art is simply stunning, and this book will surely satisfy anyone looking for something more than your run of the mill comic story.

The third part of this series should hit shelves next year, and will focus on tales from India. If Volume III is anything like the first two, it should be an immediate hit.

I often hear people discussing comics, making the case that the medium should be taken more seriously as an art form. Well, this is it right here. This is comic art at its finest – a perfect blending of illustration and classic storytelling. You owe it to yourself to check this out.

That is all I have for you this week – I hope all of you will take the time to check out at least one of these titles, and let me know what you think. Until next week -